rain dance
by blueberry-kun
Summary: / sasuke & sakura / AU. If only things had been different.
1. I: stone heart

I'm back, and this story is re-fucking-vamped. The first, like, two chaps aren't gonna make a lot of sense, so just bear with me while you sit back and enjoy this story in all it's 3D glasses glory.

**rain dance**

_If only things had been different._

* * *

He hated the rain.

He hated the cold feeling pricking his skin, and trails running down his face like tears.

He hated the purple clouds that suffocated his every motion, his every breath. They loomed over him, concealing everything as though it were a secret.

Sasuke stood up, muscles knotted, protesting even the simplest motion. They were like those of an old man—too much work, not enough rest. His feet dragged through the wet earth, leaving behind a sloppy trail to his destination. It wouldn't matter, though, because the rain quickly washed it away.

Behind him, camp. Charred remains of an old fire lay in the center, circled by rocks and the makeshift beds of ninja. One, a bodacious blonde, sleeping soundly as his snores thrummed over the group. A black-haired male slept nearby, a pile of scrolls and inked brushes next to him. The final one, silver-haired, only feigned sleep. His one good eye was wide open, watching the dark-haired teen walk away. Where he was going, Kakashi didn't know.

He worried for the Uchiha. For weeks he'd been unusually unsettled; jumping at the slightest noise, hands grasping his prized sword with such force his knuckles turned white. He'd grown increasingly pale, and the bags under his eyes became prominent, turning into lurid violet crescents.

Kakashi continued to watch Sasuke, hoping he would return.

.

.

.

The rain came down harder now. It drove into his face, blinding him, but he still continued forward.

He had no idea where he was going, but it had to be far away from _them._ Sasuke was done. No longer did he want to continue.

* * *

It started weeks ago.

Naruto had nagged endlessly about the low amount of food they had, much to the disdain of the rest of Team 7. Fed up, Sasuke forced them into a farmer's market in a nearby village. While Naruto and Sai admired the ripe, colorful fruits and Kakashi wandered over to a bookstand, Sasuke detached himself from the group, coming across a table laden with curious trinkets.

An old woman sat behind it, silvery hair in a thick braid woven with fine gold chains, and her black eyes glittering. She held her hands in her lap, curled around something unknown.

"Hello, Sasuke Uchiha."

Sasuke was startled. His name wasn't normally known outside of Konoha, much less in a place so far away.

"How do you know who I am?" Sasuke asked, his voice smooth.

She smiled. " I know _everything._"

Against his wishes, Sasuke's heart began to accelerate. This woman was incredibly unnerving, and the raven steeled himself. He firmly put both hands on her table, his dark eyes looking into her own. "You old hag. Who has given you information about me?"

Again the old woman smiled, her eyes crinkling. "My, my. Really, Sasuke, it is important you show respect to your elders. Now look old Momoe in the eyes, and say that again, politely."

It was disquieting, her calm demeanor, but, hoping to irritate her, Sasuke said nothing. The woman blinked slowly, and, upon opening her eyes, sent a wave of terror through the Uchiha. Sasuke reeled backwards. His head pounded, voices snaking through his ears, around his head. They said only one thing;

_Hypocrite_.

_Hypocrite._

_Hypocrite Hypocrite Hypocrite._

_Hypocrite Hypocrite HypocriteHypocriteHypocriteHypocriteHypocrite!_

He covered his ears, and fell to the ground, looking at the woman in trepidation, as she unfurled her hands to reveal a small stone heart

She smiled.

* * *

Now, the voices pestered him, chiming incoherent phrases, singing in voices so delicate, so quiet it was the only time Sasuke felt some sort of peace. He walked into a forest, desperately searching for some way to silence the voices in his head.

He came to a small creek, bubbling in such a lighthearted way, like it was singing. A waterfall, no more than ten feet tall, rushed nearby, falling into a small pool that fed the creek. Sasuke dunked his head in, the water sluicing into the strands of his dark hair, caressing his face. He released a breath he'd been holding since he left camp a while back.

He opened his eyes, taking in the scene of fishes darting in and around rocks and the plants swaying in the current. Sasuke almost appreciated the feeling of the water in his eyes, relieving the irritation they'd been experiencing. About to close them, the raven noticed a pair of green eyes staring back at him. Sasuke took in a sharp breath, swallowing water and causing his heart to once again race.

Then he blacked out.

* * *

**So, **this is basically the original first chapter, with some names changed. The way this is gonna go down has been decided, and should turn out better than the first time around. If you would be so kind, after taking the ten or so minutes to read, won't you review? It would really mean a lot :)


	2. II: can we pretend it's all okay?

Yeah, sup? I'm glad that I had some reviews for the brand-new first chap, it means that this is worth something :)

**rain dance**

_If only things had been different._

(for Xero and YeahWhatever)

* * *

"What would happen if history could be rewritten as casually as erasing a blackboard?"

—Michio Kaku

* * *

"You don't understand a thing!" Sakura yells, frustration layering itself on top of sadness in her eyes. She fists her hands, tears chasing each other down her cheeks.

She's right. He doesn't understand. He doesn't understand why she is going to throw away two years of her life, two years that the three of them had shared, in a quest for something she could easily attain here. "Sakura… "

"No!" she slaps his hand away, shutting her eyes tight and messily pushing her hair back. "I'm leaving, okay?! I'm leaving and I'm not going to come back!"

It was dark, the moon's glow spiderwebbed between the trees. There is a gentle wind that ruffles the wispy hairs around Sakura and Sasuke's faces. They prick at their eyes, tangling with lashes and adhering to eyebrows.

Sasuke looked up to the sky, his heart feeling heavy enough to stop.

"…Why?"

She takes in a sharp breath, the question piercing through her like an arrow. A simple question, really, that envokes a tornado of emotions—anger, sadness, confusion. Her lungs tighten and twist, dysphoria clutching her heart in it's hand. It's a simple question, really, that makes her head pulse, vibrate, makes her sight blur.

The answer comes out rancorously.

"…Because I'm not enough."

It's a simple answer, really, but the power hits him in a flux. "What?"

Sakura swallows, gritting her teeth so hard it makes her ears ring. Nails dig into her hand. "I have never been strong enough. Since this team was formed I have stood on the sidelines, being nothing but a cheerleader—a bystander. I'm done. No one takes me seriously in Konoha, which is why I'm leaving. I'll find someone willing to train me and I'll become strong. I'll be strong, just you wait."

She doesn't wait for a reply, instead shouldering her bag and letting her legs move towards the gate. Her ears are too full of the bloodrush to hear much else, to hear Sasuke follow her.

"Sakura… don't leave. You can become strong right here in Konoha. Lord Hokage can train you—I know Naruto is already under his tutelage, but he would be willing to take another." he pleads, his eyes wide and blinking rapidly to avoid tears slipping from his eyes.

"No, Sasuke. I'm going to look for Tsunade, the most powerful woman in the world."

"But, Tsunade left the village—"

"For power. She did it to get stronger, and with her help, I will become strong as well. For too long I've been all alone! I'm sorry I'm not like Naruto, whose mom and sister help him with everything, or even like you with your brother! My parents died a long time ago, I have no family and don't you dare be like Naruto and say you are my family because that's not how it works that's not a real family it's just a pity party. I want parents, I want siblings, I wanted those _blood ties_. A family couldn't help me get strong but this—this will."

By now, she is screaming, her mouth simply verbalizing the innermost thoughts of her heart. At the end of that sentence, though, her voice drops, almost inaudible. Taking in a shaky, feathery breath, she feels that twisting sense of dread—or is it anticipation?—in her abdomen, lurching forward into a gallop.

Sasuke is silent.

He cannot empathize with her, or even pretend.

* * *

**WHY **WON'T IT STOP CRYINGGGGGG—

You know those fake babies? They cry ALL THE FUCKING TIME.

Btw, the next... three? chaps will be basically flashbacks, in order to explain how Sasuke got to where he is the first chapter ^-^


	3. III: in memoriam

Hope you enjoyed your Valentine's Day ^.^

**rain dance**

_If only things had been different._

(for mistressinwaiting)

* * *

"What would happen if history could be rewritten as casually as erasing a blackboard?"

-Michio Kaku

* * *

"Are you all right, Sasuke?"

Itachi turns to look at his brother, his dark eyes clouded in gloom. He knows today is day most dreaded by the younger Uchiha.

Memorial day.

* * *

_"Itachi—take him!"_

_A small, raven haired baby boy was thrust into the arms of Uchiha Itachi. His soft hair stuck up in the back, small tendrils curling at his hairline. His eyes were closed, oblivious to the danger surrounding him._

_"Run Itachi, please! Don't worry about us!"_

_Kyuubi, a vast, monstrous creature of nine tails had attacked the village of Konoha. In the short hour since its onslaught, over 100 people had been killed—brave ninjas, civilians desperate to protect their home, children._

_Now the Uchiha head and his wife were being called into battle. They had been running low on troops, and word was that the Fourth's wife had been taken hostage by Madara._

_"I want you to run, sweetheart. Run far away, and hide, hide from the danger. And please—protect Sasuke."_

_Itachi never lost his composure, but the dam in his chest was threatening to burst. He nodded obediently, not saying a word, clutching his baby brother like a lifeline. He knew what his parents were about to get into, and frankly the thought scared him._

_His mother gave him a soft kiss on his forehead, his father pulling him into a rare embrace. They said good-bye to Sasuke, and flew into the trees, towards Kyuubi._

_No matter what they told him, Itachi wouldn't leave the Uchiha Compound. He instead headed to the backyard, where he sat on a bench, rocking his sleeping brother. He began to fuss, soon breaking out in a full wail._

_Itachi cooed, "Don't cry, Sasuke… No matter what happens, I will always protect you…"_

_And in his heart, he already knew he'd be the only one there to protect him_.

* * *

Sasuke's hand curls into Itachi's, grips it tightly. The small grave marker embossed with the names of his parents is right in front of them, but he stares straight ahead, determined not to cry.

Why did this always make him so sad? He never even knew his parents, being only a few months old when they left him for the last time. Grief was normal for anyone when it came to death, bonds or not, but every time Sasuke even thought about the bodies of his mother and father lying under that carpet of grass, the fingers of woe played with his heartstrings, pulling and tugging forcefully.

He squeezes Itachi's hand tighter. "Can we go?" he murmurs.

Itachi nods, briefly letting go of Sasuke's hand to set down a small bouquet of white roses at the base of the marker, wrapped in red paper. The nin closes his eyes, breathes out a short prayer.

"Come on Sasuke, I'll take you to Ichiraku's."

* * *

**Just **a bit of background on our lil' Sasuke-kun :) Thank you very much to everyone who reviewed last chapter, keep it up!

Amour!


	4. IV: my fault my fault my fault

Thank you so much for being so great with this story :)

**rain dance**

_If only things had been different._

(for ImmaBeForever and mistressinwaitin)

* * *

"What would happen if history could be rewritten as casually as erasing a blackboard?"

—Michio Kaku

* * *

SHE'S GONE SHE'S GONE SHE LEFT YOU DIDN'T STOP HER YOU DIDN'T DO_ ANYTHING _YOU'RE A COWARD THIS YOUR FAULT YOUR FAULT _YOUR FAULT_

_It's YOUR fault._

Sasuke didn't sleep, that night. He only sat at the edge of his bed, eyes wide open and cloudy, but still unwilling to release tears. Over and over, his mind replayed him and Sakura—her crying and frustration, his idle attempts to get her to stay. There was a nagging feeling at the back of his head, clawing like a dead man wanting to escape his grave. It told him that there was _something else_ he should've and could've done, something that he _knew_ that could've _possibly_ changed her mind, but what?

The raven-haired and -eyed boy laid back, staring at the plain ceiling in his room. His eyes traveled over every crack, every speck of dust, trying to decipher their unintentional meaning. A breeze wafted in through the open window of his bedroom, ruffling a few papers on the walls**—**drawings, mostly, of his family**—**his _other _family**—**and drying the fresh tears he hadn't realized traveled down his cheeks.

"This is ridiculous," he said, to no one in particular. Sasuke grabbed fistfuls of sheets, clenching his teeth tightly. Sakura had been such a good actress that he was sure Naruto was completely unaware of what was going on. Kakashi probably could tell that she wasn't genuinely _happy,_ but he might've attributed it to ninja stress. The only reason Sasuke had even found out Sakura was leaving was because Itachi was supposed to be coming home from a rather long mission that night and, although he knew the team was going on a mission of their own the next morning, he wanted to greet his beloved older brother at the gate.

The young kunoichi had bumped into him and, when Sasuke had asked her about the bag, she was carrying and just what was she doing out so late, she'd gotten defensive, leading him to ask her if she was planning on leaving. At Sakura's silence, Sasuke had gotten his answer. He gave her a speech on how she shouldn't leave, only to be told he didn't understand, much to his dismay. Although sometimes a little serious, Sasuke was a friendly person who did his best to put himself in the shoes of others and held a great deal of empathy for his friends, especially those close to him. Being told that he didn't understand or that there wasn't a way he could help was a great blow to him.

Sasuke had watched her run away, had watched her leave in a sudden flicker as if she were a dying bulb, and had watched her disappear. And in the instant before she had disappeared, he could have sworn he had seen some light blonde hair, the trademark shade of Lady Tsunade.

Itachi had told Sasuke the legend of Lady Tsunade many times. She was a very beautiful, promising kunoichi, who always gave one hundred percent, even if the outcome wasn't always ideal. The story went that she had been done a great injustice by those who governed the village, and she left, leaving destruction in her wake that'd been caused by the impossible strength she seemed to have hidden from others. She supposedly trained for years, honing her strength**—**her inhuman strength which was now said to be that of ten thousand men in some versions**—**and creating fearsome techniques that had the potential to wreak absolute havoc, along with some that could perform miracles when it came to healing the injured.

Once when Sasuke had asked what the injustice had been, Itachi got a rather sympathetic look in his eye. He said, "They accused her of killing a comrade in the attempt to preserve his life."

Even at the tender age of seven, Sasuke knew what that meant. He felt something like pity for the woman in the story, being accused of something she surely had not done. Vaguely, he was now reminded of Sakura. Many times other ninja had said she was the weak link, the one holding back the awesome power of Sasuke and Naruto. Like Lady Tsunade, it wasn't her fault, and it wasn't something she could control. Naruto had ridiculously large amounts of chakra, and it was strong too, while Sasuke was very advanced in several techniques some Chuunin were barely beginning to ponder, thank to his older brother. Sakura, on the other hand, had little chakra compared to the other two and didn't have much endurance. She was somewhat wiry but lacked sufficient skills to specialize in close combat, and yet she contributed.

She contributed. If not then why would her sudden departure affect him so much?

_"No one treats me seriously in Konoha!"_

…_Not even you._

* * *

**Thank **you very much to all you lovely people who have read and reviewed, and to my lovely beta mistressinwaiting ❤

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! **Review!**


	5. V: the day the world ended

I need to get my shit together.

**rain dance **

_If only things had been different._

(for ImmaBe and lala)

* * *

.

.

.

"Someday, we will all be saved."

.

.

.

She was very young, this Haruno Sakura was. So young and delicate and _innocent. _Just like her namesake. So much so, in fact, that many of the horrors of the ninja world were unbeknownst to her, despite her upbringing.

Okaasan was tough, hardened from her many years as an ANBU. Since day one, she made sure to push Sakura to her limits, to shape her into an ideal kunoichi—_the_ ideal kunoichi. However, it disappointed her to see that the young girl—the girl she invested so much in, her own _daughter_—failed to meet her standards time and time again, instead opting to give up and cry. There were many times when Mebuki thought that her daughter just may not have been cut out for shinobi life.

_"Go on, Sakura! Hit me, now!"_

_"I...I can't_—_!"_

_"Yes, you can! It is an attitude like _that _that makes you weak!"_

Tousan's eyes were soft and understanding, Sakura remembered. After a rigorous training session with her mother that seemed to prove useless—utterly useless and always disappointing—the pinkette would run into the arms of her father crying. He would stroke her hair, always reminding her that Mebuki had seen many things that made her life difficult, and the things she did were to prepare Sakura for the road ahead. He always reminded her, consoling her at the same time with a kindness her mother would fail to show her.

Being so little, so stubborn, she didn't quite understand the depth of her mother's intentions, and the two grew apart. Even at the tender age of six, Sakura's relationship with her mother began to suffer—just ripping apart at the seams that were just _barely_ there.

One day, however, she was walking home from school after an unusually good day. The boys didn't tease her quite as much, and she was actually allowed to sit next to Sasuke. The pinkette practically skipped home that day.

_"Okaasan! Tousan! I'm home_—_" _

A shriek. A body, lying at her feet.

_"T-Tousan? Tousan, a-a-are you okay? Tousan? _Tousan!_"_

Small hands fluttered to her father's chest, checking for a heartbeat.

_"I have to find Okaasan!"_

Small feet pattered through the house, and doors flew open.

Another body.

_"Okaasan! P-p-please be okay! OKAASAN!"_

Tears collected in her eyes, pouring out onto her cheeks.

There was a sound to her right.

_"What? Another one?"_

_"What happened to my parents?!"_

_"You_—_! There weren't supposed to be any witnesses!"_

A man closed in on Sakura, kunai glinting in the setting sun. Sakura braced herself, waiting for certain death.

_"What are you doing?!"_

There is a woman, identified only by her voice, her face being covered by a mask.

_"There weren't supposed to be witnesses!"_

_"The targets_—_they don't have children!"_

_"Are you saying_—?_"_

_"Knock her out, do something! If we leave soon, no one will know!"_

Quick as a hiccup, the man pulled something from the bag resting on his hip, using it to cover Sakura's face. The young girl's eyes fluttered, suddenly feeling as though the world was being muffled by cotton and feeling as though she was almost being suffocated by the same wooly material.

Her dreams were thick and hazy, the faces of her parents blurred. She dreamed of pictures with them scratched out, or erased completely. She dreamed of fire consuming her very being—the red, hot flames burning every inch of her body—and drowning in an ocean. She woke up screaming, screaming for her parents, looking around for them before remembering—

She was alone.

She was all _alone_.

* * *

**I'm sorry **for the break I've taken, and will probably continue to take. It's almost the end of the year, and school is killing me. Hopefully by spring break I can get back on track.

Also, every fifth chapter will be Sakura oriented, so... yeah.

As always, thank you for reading and reviewing and everything else and thank you to my lovely beta for making this story especially nice for y'all.

**Review!**


	6. VI: somewhere i don't know

New quote.

**rain ****dance**

_If __only __things __had __been __different__._

(for impromptumelody, YeahWhatever, and Hearts grow)

* * *

"No one can go back and make a new beginning, but we can start here and make our own end."

.

.

.

* * *

The worst part was having to tell Naruto. Sasuke knew how much Sakura meant to him, the large amount of space she took up in his heart. Everyone, even her, thought of it as just a simple crush that the blonde would grow out of by the time they turned thirteen, but it wasn't.

Far from it.

Sasuke knew that Naruto would go to the ends of the earth for Sakura, even if his hands were tied behind his back and he had to carry her the entire way. Sasuke knew that Sakura returned nothing of that sort of feelings toward the knucklehead and that if there was anything then it was just a mere platonic friendship and nothing more. The pinkette would disregard him as annoying, but there was no denying that spark that ignited in his eyes whenever she talked to him, even if just for a scolding. In Naruto's eyes, she was perfection. She was everything he wanted, maybe even _needed__._

Sasuke was draped across the bridge railing like usual when Naruto came. He was about fifteen minutes late from the initial meeting time that was set up, but surely he was _hours_ earlier than Kakashi's arrival.

"Hey, teme!" exclaimed the orange-clad Genin, bouncing to Sasuke's side. He gave him a toothy smile, whisker-marked cheeks dimpling. Sasuke's heart sank—but why? The dobe _was_annoying at times, and Sasuke deemed their relationship as nothing more than a one-sided friendship. Itachi had told him that the young blonde was an orphan and, yet despite being an orphan, despite being brought into this world _alone_, his demeanor was very different from those of the other children who came from similar situations—where the others were downright disheartened and pessimistic, Naruto was cheery and radiated a certain warmth that drew people in. But Naruto was human, just like the other orphans. His missing parents must have affected him somehow, and surely losing his parents would be enough of a blow to him, but now what might've possibly been the person he'd fallen in love with?

The Uchiha knew_,_ he just _knew_,that what Naruto felt was indeed love. Even if the knucklehead was unaware of it himself, it was undeniable to those who were observant (even if most people weren't). A crush, scientifically, only lasted about four months—anything longer pointed to signs of being "in love."

Naruto had had a "crush" on Sakura for almost _six __years_.

Sasuke couldn't tell him. He just _couldn__'__t__._ But... he deserved to know. It would be cruel to just let him assume things, like outright lying to him by saying that Sakura had transferred to another team or somehow died. No matter how much it hurt, telling him was still the right thing to do.

"Naruto," Sasuke said, using the blonde's real name for the first time in what might have been years.

The Uzumaki's eyebrows perked up at the sound of his name. "Yeah?" He wondered why the Uchiha sounded, if possible, more serious than he usually is.

"Naruto, there's so—"

"Hey, where's Sakura-chan? She's usually here right around the time you are. Maybe she slept late, or-or maybe... do you think she got lost? You never know! Konoha's a big village, and something could have happened... Do you think we should get her?"

"Naruto—"

"Don't tell me it's her birthday today! Crap, I totally forgot! Is that why we're here? Are we gonna plan a party or some... thing...?" Naruto trailed off at the sight of Sasuke's crestfallen face.

"Naruto... Sakura's gone."

* * *

**Nice ****to ****see ****you ****guys ****again**, it's been a while. As I'm sure you know, school has been an absolute pain in my ass, and this week is a BLESSING. I hope you enjoyed this chapter even if it was short, but I will have another one for you before the end of next week, promise :) By the way, you guys like the cover? ;P

**Review****!**


	7. VII: a good team

Did I say next week? I mean next _next_ week.

**rain dance**

_If only things had been different._

(for Xero and impromptumelody)

* * *

"No one can go back and make a new beginning, but we can start here and make our own end."

.

.

.

* * *

They'll make a good team, they said. Perfect balance, they said. The knucklehead who could never sit still, a prodigy who would most definitely go places, and the brainiac who could still learn a thing or two from the both of them—what more could they want?

.

.

.

A good team, they said.

They'll make a good team...

A good team.

* * *

"Your goal is to take these bells away from me. You won't win unless you come at me with the intent to kill. I will know who takes that statement seriously, because the person who does not have a bell in their hand will be punished. " Kakashi Hatake, appointed sensei of the new Team 7 said. He held the two peals in his right hand, they swayed softly in the wind. His lone gray eye scanned the three Genin in his presence, already sensing that the one in blue, Sasuke, was going to take this the most seriously. He transferred his gaze to the only girl, fittingly named Sakura. She was the quieter of the three, biting nervously on the pad of her thumb and making no move to reposition her feathery bangs away from her eyes—Kakashi couldn't tell if it was a slight fear or anxiety in those spring green orbs. But at the sound of loud Naruto's declaration of victory, she perked up, dealing him a slap to the head.

He continued his instruction. "You are allowed to use whatever weapons you have on hand. This means kunai, shuriken, senbon and even explosive tags are acceptable." The bells were clipped to Kakashi's belt. "You may begin."

The three young ninja leapt into the trees, already attempting to conceal their presence, although it was no match for Kakashi's years of experience. The Jonin knew where each and every one of those kids were, and continued to read his brand-new copy of Icha Icha. He expected to remain in this spot for a while, until those three figured out separate plans to "ambush" him—_Ha!_ As if they could get one over him at their current level. What he didn't expect, however, was an orange blur hurtling at him within seconds of the start of the exercise.

Caught off guard for a second, Kakashi recovered, effectively dodging each of Naruto's desultory attacks. The book never left his hand.

"You go, Naruto!" came the yell, to Kakashi's right. He suddenly felt a weight of about ninety pounds drop onto his back. It was the kunoichi, Kakashi realized immediately. It was Sakura. Her arms locked around Kakashi's neck as she tried to jerk his head back while Naruto continued to throw punches and Sasuke discreetly reached out to pluck the bells off Kakashi's belt. The soft chime of the bells once they came off alerted Naruto and Sakura to detach themselves from their silver-haired teacher.

Kakashi, slightly overwhelmed from what had just happened, stared at his Genin with the slightest indication of surprise. He hadn't had children climb on him in such a way since his D-rank mission days with his old squad. Kakashi took a deep breath and nonchalantly wiped his flak jacket of nonexistent dust. Hey, even in "defeat," he still had to look cool. And speaking of being cool...

"You do realize that one of you fails this test, right?" he told the three kids, almost amused at the sudden down turn of their smiles. "After all, there's only two bells and three of you. Decide now who's the dead last, and they will return to the Academy starting tomorrow."

"What?" cried Naruto, his voice almost painfully shrieking. "You can't fail one of us, old man! The three of us beat you _together_!"

"A team that works together, stays together." said Sasuke, crossing his arms in front of his chest, smirk set at the corner of his mouth.

"Sasuke-kun and Naruto are right!" Sakura's green eyes were suddenly shiny with a strong confidence that hadn't been there before. She hated the mere thought of being alone again. "We're a team!"

At their protests, Kakashi's gaze softened, his mouth slowly molding into a smile. They are the first team in years to understand the purpose of the entire exercise—figuring it out unintentionally, probably, but it'll do. And so, Kakashi tucked his orange book into his back pocket, eye shut in defeat.

A good team.

* * *

**This** is a bit more third person omniscient, than the third person limited I've been using. We are actually reaching the end of what is Part I, after the (superduper brief) Land of Waves and Chuunin Exams arcs. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and hopefully the next one will pick things up a bit more ;) Thanks for reading!

**Review!**


	8. VIII: heartthrobs and pink curtains

Thanks to lala, impromptumelody, and Xero.

**rain dance**

_If only things had been different._

(for mom and v.)

* * *

"No one can go back and make a new beginning, but we can start here and make our own end."

.

.

.

* * *

Sasuke's heart first throbbed at the sight of Sakura on their first mission, the sight of her actually on the battlefield, the sight of her naviety and innocence disappearing from her eyes.

He didn't ask for it, didn't anticipate it, and the thought had never even crossed his mind. Sakura was quiet, introverted, and almost always hid behind a thick curtain of pale pink fringe. More often than not, when Sasuke addressed her, she would look down, around, anywhere but him. He found it very strange and made it his personal mission to break that trait. After all, true ninja were confident and reverent individuals who didn't show weakness easily. Itachi had beaten that into his brain over the years.

Even if he adopted his brother's traits of quietness and seriousness, Sasuke still had many friends. As opposed to the rambunctious Naruto who beamed at the sight of anyone who was not yet his friend, Sasuke preferred to choose them carefully. He spent a bit more time assessing them and their characteristics, then slowly opened up his personality to them. Friendship would quickly ensue, most of the time.

Sakura was an example of the sometimes when someone wouldn't become Sasuke's friend.

She was just too quiet, even for Sasuke's liking. She gave off the essence of fear, almost as if she was scared of letting anyone in and seeing something she kept very closely guarded.

In order to either try and find out what she was hiding or just break her tough outer shell, Sasuke went out of his way to be around her. He lagged behind the rest of the team just a bit so he would be walking next to her and would try and direct his attention to her a little more often than to Naruto.

But she always deflected that attention away, always ignored it to the best of her abilities.

.

.

.

"Sasuke!"

"Sa... Sakura..."

Sasuke could feel the tear in his lip, the blood streaming from it steadily. His body ached all over, and he knew bruises were already blossoming all over his body. His vision focused in and out with every unsteady breath he took.

_throb._

"Sakura... you're okay, r-right?" breathed in the Uchiha, wincing at the sharp pain coursing through his chest. It felt like someone had taken their claws and had chosen to slowly rip him open.

The kunoichi nodded, long pink locks spilling over her shoulders to caress Sasuke's face. Her tears splashed onto his face.

_throb._

"D-Don't worry about me, you need help!" She had wanted to yell at him for thinking of her safety when it was he who had almost died, but the thought was quickly discarded.

_throb._

Sasuke blinked slowly, turning his head as far as it would allow. He saw more than twenty Narutos fighting the ninja Gato had employed haphazardly and Kakashi taking on Zabuza by himself. Tazuna had disappeared.

Salty tears suddenly mixed with the coppery taste of blood in his mouth. Sakura was crying, obviously frightened at the sight of her comrade injured so severely. The part of Sasuke that was pure shinobi was disgusted at the such a display of emotion—something ninja weren't supposed to have, at least, not on missions. But the other part of Sasuke—the friendly, pubescent boy part—wanted to tell her to wipe her tears and that everything was going to be okay.

"Go... go help Naruto. He needs you." Weakly, Sasuke lifted his chin in a gesture towards the blonde whose clones were being dispersed one right after the other.

Green eyes became very cloudy as Sakura stopped crying and instead looked away, shameful.

"I won't be much help. I'll probably just end up getting him hurt or something. That's what got you into that mess."

_throb._

She was referring to what had caused two kunai to pierce Sasuke's body. While Sakura was protecting the bridge builder, she had become too focused on one ninja that had come too close to pay attention to another who was already launching his weapons. Sasuke had rushed in front of her just in time to receive the blow.

"I'll be fine... I told you." It was a lie. In his mind, Sasuke was remembering all the things Itachi had told him about injuries, especially those to the abdomen.

"_Evisceration..."_

"_Bleeding out..."_

"_Hypovolemic shock..."_

Sasuke decided he had about ten minutes until his very early death. The way the kunai had hit him meant that his intestines were most likely torn, and whatever blood that wasn't pooling on the floor next to him was filling up the inside of his body and would most definitely cause something gruesome.

_throb._

_throb._

_throb._

_throb throb throb throb throb throbthrobthrobthrobthrobthrobthrob—_

"Sakura. Go and fight. I... I will be just fine."

Sasuke closed his eyes.

* * *

**Happy late mother's day, mom. **And happy late birthday, V. I have finals this week, which means no homework! Summer is almost here, and I am most definitely happy about that :) Cali, here I come ❤

Love, and

**Review!**


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